How academia and industry can work together to get the most out of AI — Andrew Forde, Head of AI Research, KPMG

Andrew Forde (MSE 1T1, MIE PhD 2T0) is a double graduate U of T Engineering, and a trailblazer at the intersection of industry and academia. After completing his undergraduate in Materials Science & Engineering, Forde went to work for a variety of consulting companies, including Boston Consulting Group, IBM and Deloitte. A few years later, Forde became one of the first students to complete what is now the flex-time PhD program, under the supervision of Professor Mark Fox (MIE). Earlier this year, he was appointed Head of AI Research at KPMG. Dean Yip spoke to him about his new role, the importance of academic-industry collaborations when it comes to addressing open-ended, complex challenges and the connections between music and engineering.